Safe Routes to School National Partnership - Transportation Alternatives Programhttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/transportation-alternatives-program
enAsk your Senator: Speak Up for Safe Routes to Schoolhttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/ask-your-senator-speak-safe-routes-school
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>At a time when bicycling and walking represents 12 percent of all trips, dozens of cities are added bikesharing and thousands of schools are implementing Safe Routes to School programs, some in Congress want to take away the small amount of funding Congress invests in bicycling and walking.</p>
<p>We <a href="https://www.votervoice.net/SAFEROUTES/campaigns/39688/respond" target="_blank">need YOUR help</a> to make sure that Congress doesn’t cut the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding in the next transportation bill. TAP helps local communities build sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, trails and more. States and cities rely on the funding from TAP to support Safe Routes to School initiatives throughout the country. Without TAP, hundreds of millions of dollars for Safe Routes to School, bicycling and walking projects would evaporate.</p>
<p>Fortunately, Senators Cochran (R-MS) and Cardin (D-MD) are teaming up to champion bipartisan support for TAP. Their new bill, S. 705, the Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act, would help make sure that Congress continues to invest a small share of federal transportation dollars in Safe Routes to School, bicycling and walking. It would also make small changes to strengthen the program—such as making nonprofits eligible, shifting more money to the local level and reducing regulatory burden—and increase funding by 30 percent. Additional <a href="/node/1615/">background on the bill</a> is on our website.</p>
<p>Please <a href="https://www.votervoice.net/SAFEROUTES/campaigns/39688/respond" target="_blank">ask your Senators to speak up for TAP</a> by cosponsoring S. 705. With your help, we can build the momentum we need to sustain the Transportation Alternatives Program in the next transportation bill. The Senate may consider its transportation reauthorization bill in late April—so having the support of your Senators now is essential.</p>
<p><a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/7093/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=16990" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.votervoice.net/SAFEROUTES/campaigns/39688/respond" target="_blank"><img src="/sites/default/files/pictures/button.jpeg" border="0" alt="take action" title="take action" width="175" height="37" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/transportation-alternatives-program" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Transportation Alternatives Program</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/federal-transportation-policy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">federal transportation policy</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/take-action" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">take action</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Topics:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/national-policy-advocacy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">National Policy &amp; Advocacy</a></div></div></div>Wed, 25 Mar 2015 16:23:54 +0000Margo Pedroso1616 at http://saferoutespartnership.orghttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/ask-your-senator-speak-safe-routes-school#commentsTwo New Bills to Advance Safe Routes to School, Bicycling and Walkinghttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/two-new-bills-advance-safe-routes-school-bicycling-and-walking
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/pictures/margo-pedroso-thumb_0.jpg" alt="Margo Pedroso" title="Margo Pedroso" style="float: left; margin: 5px;" border="0" height="100" width="100" />Congressional supporters have introduced two new pieces of legislation to advance funding and safety for bicycling and walking. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is pleased to support both bills.</p>
<p>First is the Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act, S. 705, which introduced by Senators Cochran (R-MS) and Cardin (D-MD). This bill is critical to protecting the federal investment in Safe Routes to School, bicycling and walking and ensuring that all modes are supported by our transportation system. Each year, more than $800 million is allocated to states and MPOs through the <a href="/national/policy-background#transpoalt">Transportation Alternatives Program</a> for Safe Routes to School projects, sidewalks, trails and other bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.</p>
<p>The legislation would:</p>
<ul><li>Give states the flexibility to meet federal cost-sharing requirements across the entire program, which will allow lower matching requirements for lower-resourced communities to be offset by higher matches from larger communities within a state;</li>
<li>Make nonprofits and small MPOs eligible to compete for funding;</li>
<li>Shift a greater portion of TAP funds to be allocated by population, making sure that resources are fairly distributed among rural areas, mid-sized suburban areas and large metropolitan areas;</li>
<li>Remove a provision that creates extra regulatory hurdles that delay projects; and</li>
<li>Restore the 30 percent of funding cut that was cut from 2012 funding levels.</li>
</ul><p>You can <a href="/sites/default/files/pdf/TAPIA%20fact%20sheet.pdf" target="_blank">download a fact sheet on the legislation</a> for more information. Next week, we will ask Safe Routes to School supporters to take action to ask your Senators to cosponsor S. 705. With your collective voices, we can show broad support in Congress to sustain and strengthen the Transportation Alternatives Program.</p>
<p>The second new bill is the Vision Zero Act, HR 1274, which was introduced by Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) and Buchanan (R-FL). This Act would help provide funding to support the Vision Zero movement around the country, which focuses on eliminating <span style="text-decoration: underline;">all</span> traffic fatalities. A growing list of cities around the country have adopted Vision Zero, including <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/visionzero/pages/home/home.shtml" target="_blank">New York City</a>, <a href="http://visionzerosf.org/" target="_blank">San Francisco</a> and <a href="http://www.waba.org/blog/2015/02/mayor-bowser-commits-to-implementing-vision-zero/" target="_blank">Washington DC</a>. It seeks to reframe how we think about transportation safety so that every traffic fatality is viewed as unacceptable, and that we prioritize transportation safety improvements that prevent deaths. HR 1274 would provide $30 million in grants each year to help communities develop Vision Zero plans or to implement already existing Vision Zero plans.</p>
<p>The National Partnership will be talking about both bills as we meet with Congressional offices to build support, in hopes that the provisions from both bills can be included in the next transportation bill. </p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/map-21-reauthorization" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">MAP-21 Reauthorization</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/federal-transportation-policy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">federal transportation policy</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/transportation-alternatives-program" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Transportation Alternatives Program</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/vision-zero" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">vision zero</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Topics:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/national-policy-advocacy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">National Policy &amp; Advocacy</a></div></div></div>Thu, 19 Mar 2015 19:18:16 +0000Margo Pedroso1615 at http://saferoutespartnership.orghttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/two-new-bills-advance-safe-routes-school-bicycling-and-walking#commentsWhat’s at Stake This Spring in Congresshttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/what%E2%80%99s-stake-spring-congress
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/pictures/margo-pedroso-thumb_0.jpg" alt="Margo Pedroso" title="Margo Pedroso" style="float: left; margin: 5px;" border="0" height="100" width="100" />If you have been paying attention to how Congress has handled transportation over the past several years, you’d be justified in thinking that this May’s expiration of the MAP-21 transportation law will get pushed back by months and that you don’t need to pay attention to transportation this spring.</p>
<p>But, you’d be wrong. While it is likely that we won’t see a new transportation law by May as Congress <a href="/blog/congress-casts-about-transportation-funding-solution">sorts out how to fund it</a> – the transportation committees are indeed working on the policy as we speak. Decisions are being made this spring about what programs will be continued, consolidated or cut and what changes will be made. House offices are telling us that more than half of the transportation bill has already been agreed to—though bicycle and pedestrian issues have not yet been addressed. </p>
<p>So – even if Congress doesn’t actually complete the transportation bill by May, the policy decisions we care about could well be settled by then. <em>That means this spring will be a critical time to make our voices heard on behalf of Safe Routes to School, bicycling and walking</em>.</p>
<p>While we are hopeful that we won’t see attacks on this funding on the scale that we did in 2012, there are Members of Congress voicing their concerns that only roads and bridges should be funded out of the Highway Trust Fund gas tax revenues, and that transit, bicycling and walking should have to find funding elsewhere. At a February 11, 2015 House Transportation committee hearing, three of the newer Republicans on the committee raised exactly that issue to US Transportation Secretary Foxx. Foxx responded that transit, bicycling and walking are not “non-essential” items and should be funded out of the trust fund. We have our work cut out for us to educate some of the newly-elected Members of Congress about how Safe Routes to School funding helps with children’s safety, children’s health, school busing costs and more.</p>
<p>We don’t only want to play defense. We will be working to build support for the <a href="/national/policy-background#transpoalt">Transportation Alternatives Program</a>, and some tweaks to make it work better, including:</p>
<ul><li>Making nonprofits and small MPOs eligible to apply for funding;</li>
<li>Shifting more funds to the population share, to give more local decision-making over projects selected;</li>
<li>Giving states more flexibility on the required local match for projects so that low-income or rural communities don’t need to provide matching funds;</li>
<li>Removing the language that creates a higher regulatory burden on TAP projects than on similar projects built with money from other transportation funding streams.</li>
</ul><p>We will also be working with offices on ways to make sure more federal safety dollars go to bicycle and pedestrian safety. Right now, states collectively spend <a href="http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/sites/default/files/pdf/HSIP-state-chart.pdf" target="_blank">just 0.4 percent of the Highway Safety Improvement Program</a> on bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements, even though fatality rates are at nearly 16 percent.</p>
<p>If you are coming to the <a href="http://bikeleague.org/content/summit-2015" target="_blank">National Bike Summit from March 10-12</a>, that will be a great opportunity for you to speak up for Safe Routes to School projects and the Transportation Alternatives program. If you are coming, look for me there—I’d love to talk with you about building support for Safe Routes to School with your Members of Congress! If you can’t make it to DC for the Summit, we will have a call to action coming soon where you can ask your Member of Congress for support right from your computer.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/map-21" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">MAP-21</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/federal-transportation-policy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">federal transportation policy</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/transportation-alternatives-program" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Transportation Alternatives Program</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/transportation-bill" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">transportation bill</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Topics:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/national-policy-advocacy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">National Policy &amp; Advocacy</a></div></div></div>Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:54:53 +0000Margo Pedroso1607 at http://saferoutespartnership.orghttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/what%E2%80%99s-stake-spring-congress#commentsUSDOT Sidesteps Safety as Congress Focuses in on Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructurehttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/usdot-sidesteps-safety-congress-focuses-bicycle-and-pedestrian-infrastructure
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/pictures/medium_matt%20colvin.jpg" alt="Matthew Colvin" title="Matthew Colvin" style="float: left; margin: 5px;" border="0" height="120" width="120" />There were two significant developments this month in Washington D.C for Safe Routes to School. First, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) released its proposed rule addressing safety on our roads. Notably absent from the rule were safety targets for pedestrians and bicyclists. However, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure was front and center in a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing examining local perspectives on transportation. </p>
<p><strong>U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Proposed Rulemaking on Safety</strong></p>
<p>The most recent long term surface transportation funding bill, MAP-21, established a performance and outcome based system for states to invest in projects that help achieve a list of national goals. First on USDOT’s list of performance targets was safety, and as you may have <a href="http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/blog/take-two-minutes-stand-safety-our-children">seen on our blog</a>, they issued the proposed rule to address how the government will implement Congress’s new safety laws this month. Unfortunately, while we feel that the proposed rule gives states far too much leeway to set and meet their own safety targets in general, it also does not create separate measures for motorized and non-motorized road users. Considering that bicycle and pedestrian deaths now make up more than 16 percent of all roadway fatalities, while states are spending less than one half of one percent of their federal safety dollars to address the issue, including a target for non-motorized road users could not be any more critical. </p>
<p>While the period for public comment on the proposed rule will be open for 90 days, we are simultaneously working with Congress to address this issue. Right now, a bipartisan list of more than <a href="http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/3494">70 members</a> of the House of Representatives and <a href="http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/1708">13 Senators</a>, have signed on to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Act. Should the USDOT fail to act on implementing safety measures for pedestrians and bicyclists after the comment period ends, this legislation would ensure that non-motorized road users no longer take a back seat to vehicular passengers. But we need your help. We encourage you to <a href="http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/blog/take-two-minutes-stand-safety-our-children">read our blog for more background</a>, and then take a moment to submit comments to the USDOT expressing your support for roadway safety for <em>all </em>users. You can also take a look at our <a href="/sites/default/files/pdf/performance%20measures%20safety%20public%20comment%203-28-14.pdf">official comments</a> to USDOT.</p>
<p><strong>Senate Focuses in on Local Funding, Transportation Alternatives.</strong></p>
<p>This week, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing entitled, “MAP-21 Reauthorization: State and Local Perspectives on Transportation Priorities and Funding.” We previously addressed the extensive attention Congress was giving to their <a href="http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/blog/map-21-reauthorization-kicks-high-gear%E2%80%A6maybe">Highway Trust Fund woes</a> – which, to be sure, is a substantial problem that threatens the sustainability of our transportation programs – so we were heartened to see the Senate focus on the importance of preserving and strengthening the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) at this hearing. </p>
<p>MAP-21 consolidated several stand-alone programs, including Safe Routes to School, Transportation Enhancements, and Recreational Trails, into the Transportation Alternatives Program; reduced overall funding by about a third; and gave states flexibility to transfer funding for these critical programs to other priorities, such as building more highways. The <a href="http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&amp;Hearing_ID=f08eb4e6-c34a-d7a4-88e2-2aa6f17aa076">panel of witnesses</a>, made up of mayors and local leaders from around the country, spoke about the vital role TAP funding has played in putting bicycle and pedestrian safety projects on the ground at the local level. Of note, several witnesses pointed out that when we focus on creating multi-modal cities, not only do we make them safer for children and families, but we can also attract the kind of talent businesses are looking for when deciding where to open new offices. And this economic component is not just limited to big cities. One witnesses stressed that in Vermont, bicycle and pedestrian projects have been major economic drivers for small towns and villages. </p>
<p>In her closing remarks, Senator Boxer gave a clear indication that TAP should be a priority in the new bill, but added that the support of local leaders will be key in avoiding another fight over bicycle and pedestrian safety dollars, like we saw in the crafting of MAP-21. This should drive home the point that your voice at the local level will be key in influencing national decision makers in the next transportation authorization go-around on Capitol Hill. </p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/map-21" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">MAP-21</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/transportation-alternatives-program" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Transportation Alternatives Program</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/performance-measures" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Performance Measures</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Topics:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/national-policy-advocacy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">National Policy &amp; Advocacy</a></div></div></div>Fri, 28 Mar 2014 20:05:26 +0000Matthew Colvin1364 at http://saferoutespartnership.orghttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/usdot-sidesteps-safety-congress-focuses-bicycle-and-pedestrian-infrastructure#commentsGreater Washington, DC Transportation Alternatives Program Implementationhttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/greater-washington-dc-transportation-alternatives-program-implementation
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/pictures/medium_Christine-Green%201.jpg" border="0" alt="Christine Green" title="Christine Green" width="120" height="120" style="float: left; margin: 5px;" />We have all been waiting to learn how the new federal transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP-21, will be implemented. The new Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) is of particular interest since it now includes Safe Routes to School and Transportation Enhancements funding. In the Greater Washington, DC region, we have our answer.<br /><br />For regions over 200,000 people, the TAP has two competitive grant processes, one at the state level and one at the regional level. The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the designated entity to host the regional competitive grant. Since Greater Washington, DC is larger than 200,000 people, our MPO, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), is the designated regional coordinator for TAP.<br /><br />The TPB took an important step when setting up the TAP by coordinating with the states. In Greater Washington, DC, that includes Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. For both the state and regional <a href="http://www.mwcog.org/transportation/activities/tlc/tap/default.asp" target="_blank">TAP competitive grant processes</a>, there will be one application and one timeline. Having one application and deadline for both the regional and state TAP reduces confusion for local municipalities and school districts. The TPB must deal with some differences for each state but I think all applicants are thankful they are dealing with that internally.<br /><br />The TPB will appoint an application committee with representation from all the jurisdictions in the region and experts on the eligible projects to decide the regional grants. State grants will be decided at the state level. The TPB has set the priorities for regional funding as:<br /><br />• Complete streets<br />• Bike and pedestrian facilities<br />• Recreation trails<br />• Safe routes to schools<br />• Stormwater management of highway runoff<br />• Historic preservation of transportation facilities<br /><br />I look forward to seeing the end results. For now, I am trying to <a href="http://saferoutesgreaterwashington.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/funding-for-safe-routes-to-school/" target="_blank">get the word out</a> about how Safe Routes to School projects can take advantage of this funding! <br /><br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/map-21" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">MAP-21</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/transportation-alternatives-program" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Transportation Alternatives Program</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/washington-dc-metro" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Washington DC Metro</a></div></div></div>Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:19:46 +0000Christine Green1152 at http://saferoutespartnership.orghttp://saferoutespartnership.org/blog/greater-washington-dc-transportation-alternatives-program-implementation#comments